She used to be Gidget...

We recently took Gidget the dog to the groomers for a haircut.  I'm pretty cheap and so by the time we actually take the dog to the groomer she is very shaggy.  Usually by that time the only cut available is the shave because she is so matted.  Kenna comes with me to take the dog which results in tears because we are leaving our dog! This time, however, Steve was home so he dropped the dog off and picked her up without taking Kenna with him.  When Steve brought her home Kenna freaked out because that WAS NOT our dog, (which it was).  She wanted to know where Gidget was and who this dog was.  Steve told her the dogs name was Bob.  Kenna came running upstairs to tell me we had a new dog named Bone.  Now whenever we call the dog Gidget we are corrected with a sparkle in her eye that "Its' Bone". 

Back to School 2011

First Day of School had so many plusses and minuses.

Quiet Naptimes - Plus.
Alone time - Plus.
Less T.V. - Plus.
No More Kindergarten for Katie - Plus.
Less messes - Plus & Plus.
Less fighting - Plus, Plus & Plus.

Rhyan's Last Year of Elementary School - Minus.
Levi's second Year of Middle School - Minus.
Getting Up Early - Minus & Minus.
I'm Getting Older (along with my kids) - Minus, Minus & Minus.

I know...I know

It's been way too long since my last post. I have decided I am waaay too old to be having another baby. Seth has really kicked my butt. So some things have had to go by the wayside. Mostly I am too tired to think up blog posts. Seth is getting older now so I hope to post more often. I make no promises though. So here is the year so far in pictures.

The bliss of (mostly) silence

Today was the first day of school for my kids. Brand new schools for everyone. Levi started (sniff) Middle School, while Rhyan moved to 4th grade and Katie started kindergarten. While kindergarten was very old hat to Katie (who went from full day preschool to half day kindergarten) but it had a few bumps for the others. Levi couldn't figure out how to use his student number to buy lunch and so skipped that meal while Rhyan discovered she had 5 minutes (her words) to eat her lunch and so basically skipped lunch too. On a plus note, Levi aced the lockers and didn't get lost once on his way to class.

The best part of today...my house stayed clean for almost 3 hours. I know, its shocking.

Happy Birthday Rhyan!

If Rhyan had 3 wishes she would wish for:
1) The opportunity to meet Hannah Montana
2) An older sister
3) A baby brother

Rhyan's Birthday interview :
My favorite color ... green and pink and blue
I feel happy when ... I’m with my family
I like to eat ... Tortellini Alfredo
My Favorite Movie ... Marmaduke
I feel sad when ... my family members get hurt
I like to play with ... my brother
My favorite song ... Rock Star by Hannah Montanna
My dad is ... amazing
My mom is ... fantastic

My favorite holiday ... Christmas
I love to ... go to school
My favorite food is ... baked potatoes
My favorite thing to do as a family ... jump on the trampoline
My favorite toy is ... Littlest Pet Shop

It makes me happy when ... when I get to play with my friends
My favorite thing to do in my free time ... play in the toy room
My favorite number ... 8
I feel frustrated when ... I can’t learn a new trick in gymnastics
I really like it when ... I get to ride my bike outside
My favorite subject in school ... reading
My favorite game ... hide and seek
What I like about me ... is I’m talented
What do you want to do when you grow up... a teacher
What is the best thing about your birthday ... getting presents
Who is your hero, the person you look up to, or want to be like when you grow up ... my mom.

Happy Birthday sweetheart! I am so grateful to such a kind and thoughtful child. She genuinely loves those around her. Her teachers in school constantly compliment her on befriending those around her. One of her best friends in school was an autistic boy. He had never had friends in school before. When I told her how proud I was that she was his friend, she gave me a “duh” and said that she liked him, that he was funny, not realizing that most kids wouldn’t bother to get to know him. Her sisters adore her. Kenna screams Rhyan whenever she sees her. Sometimes in the morning I hear Isabelle go in her room and ask her to make her cereal. Steve and I adore her too. She is a blessing and a gift to our family.

Wild & Crazy

Happy Birthday Levi!

I know we are a little late for this, Levi's birthday was last week so sorry. Levi got money from Grandma Jean and will get a ceiling fan from Nana & Papa. From Mom and Dad he got more money, some Lego guys and the new Rick Riordan book (author of the Lightning Thief books). I think his favorite part was having money to spend the way he wanted to.

If Levi had 3 wishes he would wish for:
1) A million dollars
2) A a jet
3) 2 more wishes

Levi's Birthday interview

My favorite color ... green, blue and red

I feel happy when ... I am with friends

I like to eat ... tacos, nachos and enchiladas

My Favorite Movie ... Avatar

I feel sad when ... I get hurt

I like to play with ... Lego's

My favorite song ... Tik Tok by Ke$ha

My dad is ... fun

My mom is ... fun to be with by ourselves
My favorite holiday ... Christmas

I love to ... play baseball

My favorite food is ... Chinese food

My favorite thing to do as a family ... play together

My favorite toy is ... my kickball and Lego's
It makes me happy when ... nobody fights

My favorite thing to do in my free time ... run around and be crazy

My favorite number ... 12

I feel frustrated when ... I don't always get to do what I want

I really like it when ... I have fun

My favorite subject in school ... P.E.

My favorite game ... four square

What I like about me ... is that I'm special

What is a funny/interesting thing that has happened to you ... I love fake mustaches and I wore pigtails and a mustache to school on my birthday.

What do you want to do when you grow up... be a rockstar

What is the best thing about your birthday ... getting presents

Who is your hero, the person you look up to, or want to be like when you grow up ... Zack my cousin

So happy birthday to my almost teenager. I can't believe it has been 11 years. It has been a privilege and a joy to be his mother, and I know his father feels the same way. I am so incredibly grateful to his birth mother who chose to place our beautiful baby boy with us. Levi is such a responsible, mature, little man. He is thoughtful of others. He is kind and protective of his sisters. He is concerned about finding his place in the world. I think he will leave this world a better place. Recently I was looking through a box with loose pictures in it and I came across a stack of pictures of him as a toddler. He was giving the camera his stubborn one-eyed death glare. I am so grateful for his stubbornness, (even as I curse it). He never deviates from the path he chooses. Whether its locking himself in the bathroom at church before his baptism or making right choices at school he is not swayed by those around him. So happy birthday Levi. Please continue to make right choices and grow straight and proud before the Lord. Always remember we love you and are so grateful for you.

Happy Birthday Katie Jayne!

Katie's 5th birthday was yesterday. She had a great one. She got a lemonade stand from mom & dad, curtains from Nana & Papa, $10 from Grandma Jean and a zsu zsu pet with a carrier from Grandma Kay. I have a friend who does a birthday interview for each of her children and so I stole her idea! Thanks Sherrie!

If Katie had 3 wishes she would wish for:
1) A real lemonade stand
2) A real Elmo to play with
3) So, so much money

Katie's Birthday interview


My favorite color ... Pink and blue and yellow
I feel happy when ... I am at school
I like to eat ... Big Fat Noodles (homemade chicken noodle soup)
My Favorite Movie ... Peter Pan (animated & non-animated versions)
I feel sad when ... kids are mean
I like to play with ... my zsu zsu pet
My favorite song ... No! by They Might Be Giants
My dad is ... funny
My mom is ... hugable
My favorite holiday ... Christmas
I love to ... play with my friends
My favorite food is ... Ramen and Big Fat Noodles
My favorite thing to do as a family ... play together
My favorite toy is ... pink & green & purple teddy bear
It makes me happy when ... do stuff I'm asked to
My favorite thing to do in my free time ... run around and play a lot
My favorite number ... 10
I feel frustrated when ... I don't get to do what I want
I really like it when ... I share
My favorite subject in school ... Art
My favorite game ... My Little Pony (its like Candyland but with ponies)
What I like about me ... when I share a lot and I be nice to each other
What do you want to do when you grow up...what I want to
What is the best thing about your birthday ... I get to have the first bite of cake & the first cupcake (at school)
Who is your hero, the person you look up to, or want to be like when you grow up ... Miss Carrie & Miss Sue & Ms. Dague (her teachers)

So a very happy birthday to our giggly, bubbly little love bug!

We're moving out!

Yes, it's true we are moving. As many of you know we have outgrown our house, (well actually that happened several years ago) and we have found a new place. Originally l had planned to post my address here but my common sense caught up with me and now if you want directions to the new digs you'll have to email me. This way we'll know who really loves us!

Another Milestone

Today Kenna passed another milestone on her way to mobility. Rhyan started yelling at me to look at Kenna. She was standing there eating a cracker. I snapped a picture from my cell phone, which is why its a crummy picture and it also looks like she is holding onto Isabelle's boot. I promise she isn't!

On another related subject (well its only related because it concerns milestones), Isabelle is 90% potty trained. I say 90% because she could be 100% if I was more on the ball and reminded her more frequently!

Kenna's First-ish Word

Kenna has been babbling a lot lately. She says "Da Da" but I consider that more of a phonic sound than an actual word. The other day though, she was sitting on my lap while I tried to finish a project on the computer. She kept trying to play with the keyboard and I kept pulling her hand away, telling her "Don't." After a few moments I realized that Kenna was saying "don't" back to me and as I listened, I realized she has been saying that word for quite a while and I just hadn't understood what she was saying. Unfortunately, this is probably the word she hears the most. So meanwhile, she is having a ball telling everyone "don't," smiling her toothy grin while we all laugh hysterically.

Goodbye 2009

I wanted to have this done before the end of the year but I ran out of time. I hope you enjoy our pictorial highlights of the past year!

Further Adventures in Nighttime parenting

Last night I went to bed a little later than the rest of my family. Everyone else was fast asleep. I had just laid down when Katie started screaming "Help me Mom! Help me Dad!" I jumped up to see what was wrong. I was pretty sure she was sleeping, but she was making a lot of noise and I was afraid she was going to wake the baby. Katie was laying on her bed thrashing around having a nightmare. I laid down next to her to try and sooth her but she keep screaming and crying and kicking. Finally not knowing what else to do, I went and got Steve. Steve tends to get up most of the time at night because I sleep so soundly. I figured maybe she had done this before. He went in a tried to soothe her and I must have doozed off because the next sound I heard was running feet. Thinking Katie must really be in the grips of a night terror, I jumped up in time to hear puking in the bathroom. Needless to say after the all the commotion the baby woke up while we were trying to clean the first bout of vomiting. I took the baby and went back to sleep.

This morning, I commented to Steve on all the commotion. He informed me I slept through all the best parts. After he was finally able to wake her up and calm her down, he took her into the kitchen to get a drink of water. Katie laid down on the tile and told Steve to "Just leave me here." Then after narrowly evading being puked on, (though my couch wasn't able escape), and after the second bout in the bathroom toilet, he asked her how she felt. He said she looked at him like he was an idiot and said, "Hel-lo...I threw up and I'm laying on the bathroom floor."

I guess that says it all.

Maybe you're doing a better job than you think!

For all you parents out there I have a quote for you. It's from a book I'm currently reading called "Christlike Parenting" by Dr Glenn Latham.

"Well-meaning parents who have tried their best should avoid the temptation of using their children's behavior as the measure of their success as parents. If children's behavior were the sole measure of good parenting, our heavenly Father would not qualify. Through Isaiah, the Lord lamented, 'I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.' (Isaiah 1:2)."

So remember this when your children embarass you in public with their poor behavior. You are doing a good and important job.

It's Officially Official

Yes, I am officially the mother of a very important elected official. Levi is Student Council Historian for Culley Elementary School. I know, you are all jealous. His comment to me was, "I guess I'll have to fulfill all my campaign promises." That's how I know he'll never be a career politician.

It's Official

Levi was on the student council last year and had a blast. This year he decided to do it again. He informed me he WAS NOT running for any of the offices. His advisor strong armed him into by saying really nice things about him like 'He's kind to those around him' and my personal favorite 'he always helps out without being asked to.' I knew they must be lies because I very seldom, if ever, see him do those things for ME at home. Anyhoo, the end result was he decided to run for student council historian and that night we worked on his campaign poster. Steve and I figured the first thing we should do was pick a slogan but seeing how Kenna had killed off the last few remaining brain cells our other children hadn't, we couldn't think of a slogan. So we skipped that step and moved right along to the picture. I picked my favorite picture...

and Levi picked his favorite...

Guess which one made it on the poster. We then surfed the web trying to find any good slogans to steal. Levi's favorite was "Vote for Levi. If zombies attack the school, I secretly know to to combat them." Steve finally convinced him that "Levi for Historian. Making history since 1999" was a more appropriate choice. (Though I was kind of with Levi on the zombie slogan. Good thing he has one mature and responsible parent).

Friday was the special election assembly. Levi stood and articulatly expressed all the things he would do if elected student council historian. His speech brought tears to my eyes. He promised to be at and take pictures for every school event. He promised an end of the year slideshow. We should know the election results on Monday. I can't decide if I should be the proud mother of an elected official or that crazy mom who mumbles to herself as she drives him to every school function and actually puts the slideshow together. I'll probably be both.

Pardon my dust...

I wanted to apologize for my disappearance act this summer. My summer has consisted of refereeing fights between the older 2, cleaning the never ending messes of the younger 2, and constantly feeding, changing and entertaining the baby. Any free time I have is usually spent sitting in the corner babbling like a madwoman.

The Highlights of my summer thus far include:

1. Lovely 4 yr old Katie deciding to walk home by herself from gymnastics and making it 2 blocks before being picked up by a passing bicyclist who took her back to the community center in time to chew out Steve for being a deadbeat dad.

2. Having enough of Levi and Rhyan's fighting and locking them outside in 100 degree weather while I showered in peace. (Peace being a relative word as I showered with the baby screaming in her Bumbo seat and Katie and Isabelle tearing up my house, but at least there wasn't a continual stream of tattling parading through the bathroom during said shower).

3. Kenna getting her first 2 teeth. Enough said.

4. Far, far too many hours spent in the car with family. (At least 3 so far).

5. Practicing to be a grumpy librarian, hoping this time they might actually be quiet and Kenna might actually sleep for longer than a half hour.

School starts in 19 days. It's not like I'm counting or anything.

Further studies prove

As further evidence in my study on the correlation between simians and boys, I give this example.  This weekend at the Father's Day dinner with my parents and my brothers and their families, my father asked my brother Joseph if he wanted water or punch.  Joseph said "punch" and so my other brother James leaned over and punched him.

I'm just saying...

We have been visiting my parents for the past week...girls only (while the boys stay at home working and schooling in the hot, hot heat, hahahahhaha).  Today, my daughter was playing with her cousins in the basement.  She suddently had an ephiphany about how much she missed her daddy and started to cry.  My niece, not wanting to miss out on the fun of a pity party, quickly thought about how much she missed her friends from school and she too began to cry.  My nephew confused and not wanting to join this paticular party, came upstairs and proceeded to wrestle with anyone who stood still long enough.  Girls are weird but boys are monkeys.

What Do You Think About in Your Tiny Little Pea Brain, Pt 2

The other day Levi told me that he needed new shoes. He's very hard on shoes and they usually wear out before he grows out. He informed me that "The shoes are fine but the laces are too short to tie." I must have given him the 'are you nuts' look and he said "What?!" I informed him you don't have to throw out shoes, they do sell laces. "Really? Okay I need new laces," he replied

Later I went downstairs and discovered he had cut his laces off. When I asked him what the heck he was doing, he informed me that one side was longer than the other and so he cut them off so they would be even.

This pea brain moment is brought to you by Levi!